Warning: SPOILERS for FBI season 7, episode 22, "A New Day."
A major threat surfaces in FBI season 7, and new developments in the finale hint at how the upcoming CIA spinoff starring Tom Ellis might kick off its main storyline. The explosive “New Day” attacks set up by Forefront in the finale cause no end of trouble for the FBI season 7 cast, but the culprit behind them seems to have been apprehended for a mostly happy ending. But even if not for the shocking final seconds, the FBI season 7 finale also includes information that could play a significant role in future episodes.
The main question is whether Forefront’s threat will continue in FBI season 8 alone. Each of the various teams in the FBI universe has needed help from one another before. Even the very first episode of FBI: International was part of a three-way crossover between all FBI shows. That establishes a precedent for CIA to do something similar, especially since the series was originally meant to begin with a backdoor pilot that never saw the light of day. But while the details of that pilot remain unknown, there’s good reason to suspect it might have connected to Forefront.
FBI Season 7 Finale Case Explained
China Has Infiltrated The Bureau
When first introduced in FBI season 7, episode 10, Forefront felt like little more than a random name given to a group of terrorists that had managed to plant one of their own inside the U.S. Marshals Service. However, in the season 7 finale, it’s learned that Forefront has the resources and connections to plant multiple moles in the FBI as well. This forces the team to work in secret, with Isobel briefly faking her own death and working with only those she can trust.
Taking Down Forefront Could Be The CIA Spinoff’s First Case
Forefront Justifies The Joint Task Force
Regardless of whether rumors about Alana de la Garza’s Isobel Castille leaving FBI are true, the attempt on her life will likely spur the Bureau’s efforts to track down the heads of Forefront and bring them to justice. However, their Chinese connections and ability to infiltrate multiple national security agencies suggest ties to foreign intelligence. That would justify bringing in the CIA. In FBI: International, these mutual interests between the FBI and CIA have previously led to the two agencies fighting over jurisdiction.
Why Connecting The CIA Spinoff To FBI Sets It Up For Success
The New Spinoff Has Big Shoes To Fill
A crossover between CIA and FBI is far from promising. Showrunner David Hudgins has already said none of the FBI: Most Wanted characters will appear on CIA, and suggested the new spinoff will largely stand on its own at the start of the series. However, connecting CIA more directly to the world and the story of FBI would earn a lot of early goodwill from fans. Although many were excited to hear that Lucifer’s Tom Ellis would star in CIA, initial reactions to the new spinoff were far from unanimously optimistic.
